GUYTON -- Reading has many rewards.
At Marlow Elementary School on May 14, one of them was the opportunity to be entertained by a pack of Frisbee-catching dogs.
Dozens of first graders in Effingham County Schools' Reading Recovery celebrated their reading success with an end-of-year "Pawty."
"They've worked really hard all year," Reading Recovery teacher leader Jenny Wilkins said.
Students from other Effingham County elementary schools were bused in to see Jim Fox's "Border Pawtrol," a collection of four canines with high-flying retrieving skills. Earlier in the day, a few students got to read to Superintendent Dr. Randy Shearouse and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Yancy Ford.
"We've got all kinds of stations set up for (the students) to enjoy," Wilkins said.
Nearly 200 Effingham County first graders are in Reading Recovery, a one-on-one program designed for students who are struggling in reading and writing, Each child has 30 minutes of one-on-one instruction per day with a reading recovery teacher for 12-20 weeks.
"Our goal is to get them caught up with their peers," Reading Recovery teacher leader Jenny Wilkins said. "We're pretty successful doing it. We're very grateful to our school board for funding this.
"It helps us make sure that we are getting everybody reading."
See the May 23 edition of the Effingham Herald for more details.